The New England Patriots picked up a huge 29-26 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, but was it enough to be a turning point in the season for the team and catalyze a run to the playoffs?
The Patriots got off to a strikingly slow start to the year heading into Week 4. New England was 1-2 and dealing with down play from Drake Maye, who did not look like the MVP runner-up that he was last season. With a whopping six interceptions heading into the matchup against Buffalo, an up-and-down run game behind him and a receiving corps having yet to hit its stride, the climate of the season changed with the way that Maye and his teammates performed in the win.
Maye cleaned up his game with 269 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and an interception
in the win. He navigated the pocket with precision, made great decisions when scrambling, threw passes on the money, and his execution was commendable from start to finish. It was a performance to be expected from him on a weekly basis, though his three fumbles were glaring, despite two of them being recovered.
Defeating a team like the Bills, who entered the matchup with a high-octane offense averaging over 33 points per game, served as a major boost for the Patriots, not only offensively, but on defense as well, as New England’s front kept James Cook III from exploding for a huge day and limited Josh Allen to only one passing touchdown and four rushing yards in the game.
With Maye having returned to form, and Romeo Doubs having now had two highly-productive games this season as a result of the two-touchdown performance he had against Buffalo, the Patriots have many things going for them following the statement win.
The victory comes at a perfect time for New England. The Patriots are approaching their easiest four-game slate of the season, with upcoming matchups against the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins from Weeks 5-8.
The Raiders are a team that the Patriots will need to take very seriously in Week 5, as Las Vegas is 3-1 on the year with a great defense led by defensive coordinator Rob Leonard and an offense that has played incredibly well to start the season. Nevertheless, the Patriots are still expected to win the game and build momentum on the year.
After that, the New York Jets will be one of the team’s most favorable matchups of the year, followed by a meeting against a Bears team that may not have star quarterback Caleb Williams back from injury. However, perhaps their most favorable matchup of the year will be against the Dolphins, who at this point in the season, are 0-4.
Winning out over the course of the next four games, or coming away with no more than one loss, will position the Patriots well in the playoff race in the AFC and give the team a jolt before the schedule becomes tougher. The win over the Bills figures to springboard the Patriots into a much better record down the line.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Why Patriots' upset win, next four games could turn season around
